Black Widow
by Ms Shay X Pear
Summary: Constable Ichabod Crane has come to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the murders  of the Headless Horseman... and he is well on the way to tracking down the killer.   But by the time he does... will it be too late?   Ichabod x Mary Van Tassel
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Ichabod Crane stood uncomfortably in the kitchen as Lady Van Tassel made a stew for dinner.

Mary had always made him slightly uneasy and after having seen her in the woods the night before… with a man that was definitely not Baltus Van Tassel… had only intensified the feeling.

Yes he wouldn't usually have come to find her… particularly not after what he had seen… but he wanted to ask her about her stepdaughter. Katrina.

"She will not see you" said Mary, dashing his hopes that he would be forgiven so soon. Not that had expected anything else after having suspected her Father of the murders committed by the Headless Horseman.

"Did she say anything?" he asked hopefully.

She sighed impatiently. "Only that she will not come down" she said gently but crisply.

"I see. Thank you" he said in a slightly disappointed tone, turning to leave.

"Constable" she said in firm, no-nonsense voice that made him freeze.

"You have not asked me how I have hurt my hand since yesterday. Which would have been polite" she pointed out in a sweet but rather reproachful voice.

She walked up behind him, unwinding the bandage from around her hand.

"In fact, you have been as careful not to look at it as not to mention it" she said meaningfully, standing close to him and putting her left hand near to his face. He visibly flinched as he caught sight of the long half-healed gash on her palm.

"Yes I'm sorry. How did you…" he said quickly, trying not to look at it too much.

"I know you saw me" she hissed, lips not far from his ear.

"What?" he said nervously, trying to pretend he had no idea what she was talking about. He really didn't want to talk about this. It was hard enough to keep the images out of his mind as it was.  
He didn't usually have trouble with inappropriate thoughts… even with Katrina his thoughts tended to be more romantic than inappropriate. But when he was near Mary, he couldn't seem to help thinking things he shouldn't… not about a lady… a married woman. And after last night…

"I know you followed last night. And you must promise not to tell my husband what you saw. Promise me!" she hissed, urging him to do what she said.

He swallowed hard, trying to think of a response. He didn't want to promise anything… not when he was already getting slightly suspicious of her. And he was rather distracted by her closeness… her sweet, dark, yet slightly floral perfume.

She moved behind him, putting her hands on his upper arms. Her lips were inches from his ear. "Please don't say anything…." she said in a whispery purr. "You wouldn't want to get me in trouble would you?" she added sweetly, tone ever-so-slightly suggestive.

He stiffened slightly. "No… no of course not…" he said quickly, wanting to pull away but not quite able to. He felt rather light-headed.

"I'm sure a handsome young man like you… knows all about temptation… and how it can lead you astray…" she purred in his ear, fingers lightly stroking his arms.

"I uh… can't say I do know anything… about that…" he said in a rather nervous voice. What was it about her that got him flustered and unable to think straight? With anyone else he would have managed to disentangle himself and escape by now.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about…" she whispered in his ear, fingers trailing down his torso. He felt his breathing speed up at the light, teasing touch.

Then her fingers were sliding down his stomach, towards his belt, and he thought he had better stop this before it went any further. Stop it while he still could stop it. A big part of him wanted to let her do whatever she wanted.

But he couldn't let himself think with that particular part…

He pulled away, turning to look at her. She looked rather disappointed. "Something wrong… constable?" she said innocently.

"I can't" he said firmly. "Can't what?" she purred, taking a step closer.

He swallowed hard. "I just can't" he repeated, taking a step back. Annoyance flickered over her face… so briefly he wondered if he'd imagined it.

"Are you going to tell my husband what you saw" she asked, blue eyes fixed on him. "I don't know…" he said honestly.

"Katrina says… you suspect my husband…" she said with careful innocence. Something in him prickled suspiciously. "Well the Van Tassels are the closest kin to the Van Garrets. And someone wanted everyone between them and the Van Garrett fortune dead…" he pointed out.

An icy mask came over her features as he turned to go again.

Suddenly something hard hit him in the back of the head… and everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ichabod Crane became aware of a throbbing in the back of his skull as he slowly regained consciousness.

He slowly opened his eyes. The room he was in was dark, dusty and not very large. It appeared that it was now late in the evening.

At he became fully wake he realized he couldn't move his wrists. There was something like cord wrapped tightly around them. It cut into his wrists if he tried to move them from behind his back... and no amount of tugging would get it to loosen.

"You're not going anywhere " said an amused, husky and undeniably feminine voice behind him. Something about it sent a shiver up the back of his neck.

"Who's there?" he asked nervously, trying to move his head to look behind him. A high chuckle came from behind him.

Out the corner of his eyes he saw a woman with long silky pale blonde hair and a deep purple dress walk past. When she turned to face him his dark eyes widened in shock.

"Mary?" he said unbelievingly.

She grinned maliciously. "Yes me. Who else do you think knocked you out and took you here?" she drawled.

"Why?" he asked in that same unbelieving tone.

"Well I couldn't let you get in the way of my plans" she said as if it was obvious.

"You… you raised the horseman?" he said. His voice was still shocked… but it was starting to make sense to him now. Once Baltus was out of the way everything would go to Mary.

"The Van Garrett's turned my family out of our home… leaving us to starve in the Western Woods. They deserved what they got."

"That's why you married Baltus?" he asked in a tone that suggested nothing would shock him now.

"Of course. I was determined that everything the Van Garrett's had would be mine. First I became the former Lady Van Tassel's sick nurse. Then I put her body in the grave… and my own in the marriage bed. After that it was simply a matter of killing all those who stood between me and the Van Garrett's fortune… and all those I couldn't seduce or coerce into keeping quiet" she said smugly.

"The man I saw you with in the forest…" he said thoughtfully.

"The Reverend Steenwyck" she said with a grin like the cat that had got the cream. Even a so-called 'man of God' had been unable to resist her charms. No one had… except the man tied to chair in front of her, she thought, grin dropping slightly.

He couldn't help wondering what she had in store for him. If she had wanted to kill him he'd be dead already… but she couldn't let him go now he knew everything.

"Well my Lady" he said, making the 'lady' ever so slightly sarcastic. "Now you have me here what are you going to do with me?" he asked.

He hadn't meant it to come out suggestively but a mischievous smile spread over her face.

"I'm sure I can think of something…" she purred, blue eyes wandering down his body. He blushed and looked away. He wasn't used to women looking at him like he was something they wanted to eat.

"Are you blushing… constable?" she teased, a wry smile curving the edges of her lips as she took several steps closer to him.

"You know…" she said casually as she leaned over him, resting her hand on the arm of the chair and giving him an excellent view of her slender white neck, and the soft curves that peeked over the low neckline of her dress.

"I never understood why you would be interested in a little goose like my stepdaughter… when you could have a real woman…" she said in a casual but rather suggestive tone.

"Katrina has many… many fine qualities…" he said in a slightly hoarse voice. His breathing had already started to quicken in response to her closeness… and the desire in those blue eyes.  
"No doubt" she said in her usual ladylike voice, leaning in so her lips were by his ear… her breath warming the side of his neck. "But would she know what to do with this?" she whispered, reaching down between his legs to lightly stroke him through the fabric of his trousers.

He couldn't prevent a sound somewhere between a gasp and a groan leaving his lips as he felt her hand on him. She smirked in triumph.

"Madame…" he said firmly but breathlessly.

"Yes?" she asked innocently, leaning in to press her soft lips against the side of his neck. Her hand gave him a firm but gentle squeeze that made blood rush to certain parts of his anatomy.

He had to bite back a groan as she continued to touch him.

It so was difficult not to react. Even though he kept himself it was wrong… that this was Katrina's stepmother… he couldn't prevent his body responding to her caresses.

She slowly leaned in. For a moment he thought she would kiss him… and he knew he would let her. She pressed her lips against the side of his face and straightened up.

Alarm went through him when she produced a knife from the pocket of her dress. Had she decided to kill him after all?

She quickly cut through the ropes binding him, smirking at his startled expression.

"There's no need to keep you tied up. You won't be able to leave anyway" she grinned.

"Will I not?" he asked in dismay.

"A spell to prevent someone leaving a building is child's play compared to controlling the Hessian" she pointed out.

"Now if you'll excuse me I have places to go... heads that need chopping off" she said sweetly.

She breezed from the room, leaving him sitting there… his thoughts in confusion. Part of him was relieved she hadn't done more to him… and part of him wished she had.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ichabod woke slowly... blinking in the shaft of light that had crept through the gap in the curtain.

He had the vague idea he had been having a dream... a very enjoyable one... about a certain beautiful blonde. One that was not Katrina.

A groan left him and he rubbed his forehead. Now even his dreams weren't safe from her.

It had been three days he'd been Mary's prisoner. Three days of light touches, lascivious glances and teasing remarks. She seemed to enjoy tormenting him.

Being trapped in this small, dark house with as far as he could see... no way out... was quite bad enough. Being trapped here someone who he wasn't supposed to touch... someone who liked to tease him at every opportunity was even worse.

He shouldn't want her. She was married to someone else. And worse, she was Katrina's stepmother.

If something, anything happened with Mary... he would never win Katrina back. Ever. Unless of course he hid the truth from her. But he could never do that. The guilt would eat him alive.

Suddenly there were footsteps in the hall and a hand turned the doorknob.

"Good morning" Mary said brightly as she walked into the room, a basket of food on her arm. '_Think of the devil and she will appear_' he thought laconically.

He watched at she walked over to the window and opened it, looking tempting as always in a low cut, dark-green gown.

She noticed his eyes on her and grinned lasciviously at him. Suddenly he was very aware he wasn't wearing anything under the sheet.

A smirk curved her lips as she put the basket on the table next to the bed, deliberately giving him a generous glimpse of creamy cleavage.

It was clear to him she knew exactly what she was doing. Knew exactly what was going through his mind every time she teased him.

He realized he was staring again and quickly took his eyes off her breasts.

Mary grinned wickedly and took a piece of fruit from the basket. She quickly peeled it and chopped it into pieces.

She sat on edge of the bed, took a piece of fruit and pressed it to her lips. He watched as she took a bite, licking her lips, savoring the tart sweetness.

"You should try some" she said sweetly, looking at him with a mischievous smile.

"No thank you Madame…" he said quickly, looking down.

The next thing he knew her fingers were brushing his lips, a piece of fruit in them.

"Go on… have a bite" she purred as he raised his eyes to meet hers.

He couldn't help it. He sank his teeth into the firm juicy fruit. It was delicious.

Mary smiled smugly and brushed a drop of juice from the corner of his mouth.

"Tasty?" she asked in a sweet but slightly suggestive tone.

"Delicious" he admitted, swallowing hard as he saw that look again on her face. That damn look. The one that suggested she was thinking of naughty things she wanted to do to him.

He tensed as she leaned in to brush her lips against the corner of his mouth she had just touched.

The temptation to move his head and press his lips to hers was damn near irresistible.

She brought one hand up to slowly turn his face towards her.

Then her mouth was on his… hot, fierce, passionate, kissing him in a way he could feel down in the pit of his stomach. He could feel her soft curves pressed up against his body as she pulled him closer.

Katrina had never kissed him like this. Kissed him like she wanted nothing better to have him there and then. And he couldn't help kissing her back.

The sheets had slid down his body to pool at his waist, leaving his upper body bare. She trailed her fingers over his chest as she continued to kiss him, nails scraping the skin.

Ichabod couldn't help an almost inaudible groan as he felt certain parts of his anatomy start to respond to her attentions.

She stopped kissing him just long enough to give him a wicked, lustful grin and then kissed him again firmly, her tongue sliding between his lips.

It wasn't until he felt he hand sliding down his body towards the bulge that was imperfectly hidden by the sheets that he realized what he was doing.

_No _he thought. _I can't. I can't… this is Katrina's stepmother…_

"No…" he managed to whisper as her hands brushed the top of the sheet covering him.

She ignored him, starting to slowly tug the sheet down.

"I can't…" he whispered, voice almost a gasp as he felt her fingers brush his cock through the sheets.

"Yes you can…" she whispered huskily in his ear as she tugged the sheet down. Her grin widened as she saw what an effect she had already had on him.

"Oh god…" he breathed as she moved off him to kneel on the floor by the bed.

"Don't…" he whispered half-heartedly as she pushed his thighs apart. She started to slowly lean in, long stands of blonde hair escaping from her elegant undo to tickle his skin.

This was wrong… he knew it… but somehow he couldn't manage to stop it.

All protests died in his throat as he felt her soft lips brush him.

He bit back a moan as her mouth enclosed the head of his cock, tongue flicking against it.

She gave him a firm but gentle suck that had him moaning softly, head falling back.

A shudder of pleasure went through him as she slowly slid her lips down his shaft, taking more of him in her mouth.

He couldn't believe how good her warm, wet mouth felt.

She looked up at him, her expression showing clearly how much she was enjoying what she was doing to him.

Several moans and gasps escaped him as the pleasure started to slowly build up.

Soon he was teasingly, deliciously close… the pleasure almost unbearable.

He groaned when she let him fall from her lips.

She grinned wickedly at his expression as she stood up.

He had to stifle a sound of impatience as she leaned in to kiss him once more… quickly and lightly on the mouth.

He watched in disbelief as she swanned out the door… leaving him with a basket of food… and a fierce ache between his legs. An ache that stubbornly refused to go away.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ichabod Crane lay on his bed in the early evening, tossing and turning in frustration.

He had been trapped here for a week. An entire week while Mary carried out her fiendish plan.

Even worse… he couldn't stop thinking about her in entirely inappropriate ways… couldn't help remembering the delicious sensation of her mouth on him.

He felt guilty for allowing her such intimacies… but at the time his desire had been stronger than his common sense.

What if it happened again? What if it went even further?

There was a small guilty part of him that secretly wanted that to happen… wanted to forget about everything else and give in to his lust for her.

He was a constable damn it! He was the one who was supposed to stop her!

If more people were killed… he would have their deaths on his conscience.

Who would be next? Who else was between her and the Van Garret fortune?

Suddenly with a shock like icy water it hit him. Katrina.

What if Baltus had decided that everything would go to his daughter… and not his second wife? Once he was dead… Katrina would be the only thing in her way.

Panic went through him. He had to get out. Get out and warn Katrina before it was too late.

He jumped up and looked at the window. It didn't look terribly secure.

A few moments work had it open enough to wiggle through.

The first breath of fresh air felt wonderful as he stuck his head and shoulders through. A few moments later he was through, his feet hitting the grass under the window.

He took off, running at full tilt towards the gate at the end of the path.

Nothing stopped him as he drew close to the road and he started to feel the giddy rush of freedom. Maybe she had been lying about the spell?

Just as thought that he hit an invisible wall… hard… knocking him flat on his back.

_No such luck_ he thought wryly as he sunk into unconsciousness.

…..

Ichabod felt a sense of deja-vu as he slowly regained consciousness.

Once again he was tied uncomfortably to a chair.

He slowly looked up. Mary was lounging on a couch nearby.

She looked rather angelic in a white nightgown that was gathered at the bust, her long pale blonde hair hanging in loose waves around her shoulders.

But the look on her face had nothing what so ever of innocence about it as she caught his eyes wandering down the line of her body.

A rather feline grin curved her lips as he quickly looked away.

"You woke me up" she said with a mock-pout. "I must say I didn't think you'd be foolish enough to try to run away after I told you I had placed a spell on the house" she said reprovingly.

He flushed embarrassedly. "Can't blame me for trying" he muttered.

She smirked at him, a wicked look in her blue eyes.

"I suppose not. But you're still going to have to make up for depriving me of sleep" she said lasciviously as she got to her feet.

His eyes widened as she moved closer and sat on his lap, straddling his thighs.

"Madame…" he said in a rather startled voice.

"Sssssh" she whispered, placing a finger on his lips.

His pulse raced as her lips met his, kissing him in a way that should be illegal. It was coercion. Sweet, blissful torture.

And he couldn't help thinking about how good her mouth had felt on other things than his lips…

He groaned softly as she unbuttoned his shirt and trailed her nails tightly down his skin. Her mouth hungrily traced the line of his neck.

Ichabod knew he should be making at least a token attempt to resist her… but having her body so close and her soft lips on his skin was making it very hard to even think rationally.

What could he do? His hands were tied… literally and metaphorically. He knew that very soon desire would get the better of him… and he would let her do whatever she wanted.

He could already feel his traitorous body starting to react to her closeness… and her touch. Mary smirked as her eyes slid down… spotting the slowly growing bulge in his trousers.

"So you are enjoying yourself… Constable" she purred, her expression suggesting she was enjoying reminding him exactly why he shouldn't be doing this. A surge of something like anger went through him. Not only was she was toying with him, seducing him against his will… but she was mocking him as well.

Anger was good though. It helped clear his head a little.

He tugged hard at the ropes on his wrists as her fingers wandered along his thighs. To his surprise the ropes gave ever so slightly. She must have tied them firmly, but not terribly tightly.

The ropes scraped his skin as he started to inch his right hand out. His bonds were tight enough that it was slow going. He felt her fingers undoing his trousers and he couldn't help being distracted for a moment. His mind may not have wanted this… but the rest of him did.

Her hands closed around him, bringing a soft groan from his throat. His body jerked slightly as she squeezed and stroked him. Only the pain of the rope against his wrists as he moved reminded him he should be trying to get out of there.

He groaned again as she slowly caressed him to a full erection, his hand inching its way free.

Suddenly one hand was free… and he was able to use it to free the other.

She simply smirked and kissed him again, lips parting his. His hands seemed to move of their own accord, trailing down the line of her back and then along her thighs, sliding up the nightdress.

Her arms slid around his neck as she pressed her body against his. He couldn't help a little hiss of breath as he felt her soft curves pressed into him, the most intimate part of her body so close to the most intimate part of his. And he knew she had him then.

The last of his resistance crumbled as she slid a hand between their bodies to touch him again. He moaned softly then pushed her hand away.

He felt her little hitch of breath as his hands gripped her waist firmly, moving her so he could slide his body deep into hers.

Her body wrapped tightly around him felt so very good that he couldn't help a deep groan.

He felt her gasp and shudder slightly in pleasure as she slowly started to move, her body riding his. Her long blonde hair fell around her face, half-obscuring her half triumphant, half blissful expression.

Her spine arched, another groan leaving her lips as he gripped her hips firmly, pushing himself even deeper inside her.

He felt her hands grip his shoulders tightly as her body moved up and down his, slowly at first, exquisitely, torturously slowly. Then faster as the pleasure started to build… every movement she made urging him on.

As he got closer and closer his body met hers with a force that surprised him. He hadn't even known he could be like this… this raw, overwhelming pleasure that seemed to block out everything.

He felt as he pushed her over the edge, soft cries of pleasure like music to his ears. He could not longer hold back as he felt her body shudder around his.

His head fell back, low groans and soft gasp falling from his lips as he had his release.

By the time he had relearned how to breathe again she had slid of his lap and was straightening her nightgown with an expression of smug satisfaction.

"You had better be careful your husband doesn't catch you sneaking back inat this hour" he said in a rather dry voice.

She grinned and kissed his forehead. "Oh don't worry about that. After the draught I gave him it would take a orchestra to wake him up"


End file.
